The Osceola times., 1887-01-22
HE BOUGHT HIMSELF.
A Tramps Story to Account for
His Condition.

While seated on one of the benches
IN Madison Square, New York, W. :.
accosted by rather seedy-lookir L..
dividual, who made the followir -
eous assertion:
"You haven't twenty-fi' % cents .bout
you?" ''''"'
''You're wrong;' hawaii
.Ab, Tbere nave
AN ineie IS nothing l can say,
presume u" -cwould cause you to trans
ier 'iia' twenty-five cents from your
Posso sion TO mineP"
You're right; there is not"
"May venture to ask your permis-
sion to sit down on this seatp"
The seat is as free for you as for
anybody"
The permission" said the man, as
he spread his tattered coat-tails and sat
down, sis not as gracious as it might
be, perhaps, but l have got past the
point where l object TO manners; vet"
he continued with sigh, 81 was rich
man myself once"
There was a delicate flattery that hoy
cred around this remark, for it seemed
TO indicate belief on the speakers
part that was rich man.
.'Drink?n asked.
NO." he answered. 81 wish il had
been. Itwould have many advantages.
would have had the pleasure of SPEND
ing the money. Besides | find that the
general public seem to have made up
its mind that drink must be the cause.
j hate to disappoint the public, and as
all the appearances are against me and
tend to carry out the drink theory, !
would much prefer to lay the cause to
undue indulgence in stimulants, but a
regard for truth won't allow me to do
So"
He sighed again.
81 have always been victim to my
too sensitive regard for truth"
"You look it," | said.
"Yes, | always like to meet an appre-
ciative soul, and if you don't mind |
would like to tell you the remarkable
circumstances that led to my change ia
fortune
81 should like very much to hear it.m
"Well, to begin with, | was born
Of
"oh, come, come, now, none of that
poor bpo honest business. Don't take
advantage of me. am not protected
~ a chestnut bell"
81 was merely going to say that | was
the only son of rich man, and when
he died he left me a comfortable for
tune consisting of stocks, bonds, and
one thing and another that ! speedily
converted into cash and placed at my
disposal in a New York bank. / in
tended tolook around for good invest
ment and put the money in it, so
placed the money there for safekeeping,
telling them did not expect any inter
est, but they were to be prepared to
have it drawn out at moments notice
in a lump"
"Foolish man-the cashier skipped
10 Canada, ! suppose"
mo, he did not-and, see here,
have no chestnut bell, either. You'll
have to let up on those ancient plati-
tudes if do. :"
"All right; 90 ahead"
"At my hotel put on complete
change of dress
ut wouldn't hurt you much to do
that now"
He did not heed the interruption,
but continued:
81 forgot to transfer my pocketbook
any papers or any cash to my new
suit. When mounted the stair of one
of the elevated road stations / found
that l had nothing with me. l turned
to go home. 1t was fearfully hot day,
and was not very well. When | had
walked half a block il seemed to me
that some one put his hands on my
shoulders and began pressing me down.
looked back to see who had taken that
liberty and found nobody there. The
weight pressed me down on one knee
and then on the other, and with cry
fell forward on the sidewalk. When
awoke l seemed TO be on the sidewalk
still, but there was something covering
me. | was lying on hard substance,
and when | moved the covering from
my face found was in a room that
was nearly full of tobacco smoke. A
lamp that looked hazy was burning on
the table. A young man with a shrewd,
vulpne face sat in rocking chair. Ii
seemed 10 be the only seat in the room
and he smoked large-bowled pipe.
He was in his shirt sleeves and swayed
gently to and fro, and seemed to be
consulting a huge volume in his lap. ]
sat up in haste, TO find myself on
table of boards, supported by trestles.
The sheet that covered me was all had
on. The boards creaked as'I sat up,
and the young man looked suddenly
towards me, then sprang to his feet.
letting the huge volume fall to the
floor.
Now look hereP' he cried. What
the old Harry do yoi mean by such
conduct as this.
...vVbat do I MIAMI said sWhat